The present invention relates generally to swimming pool maintenance and is related directly to the use of automated pool sweepers which use one or more whip-like sweep hoses. In greater particularity the present invention may be described as a tubular brush for coaxial attachment to said sweep hoses.
Ownership of a swimming pool, although having the potential for providing pleasure and relaxation, entails a certain amount of time and effort expended to maintain the pool in its optimum condition of cleanliness. Recognizing the fact that pool owners will not enjoy the drudgery of sweeping the pool, a number of manufacturers have produced automatic residential pool cleaning systems which aid the pool owner in maintaining his pool. Included in these systems are automatic pool sweepers, such as those manufactured by Polaris or by Arneson Products, Inc. These pool sweepers, as they are understood to operate, employ a sweeper head and at least one sweep hose which has one end attached to the sweeper head and which trails along the floor and walls of the pool. Water, from an external source, is send through the sweeper head and sweep hose and is discharged from the sweep head with sufficient pressure to cause the free end of the hose to move or sweep over the floor and walls of the pool. As the hose "sweeps", the water discharged from the end thereof displaces any dirt or "dust" collected on the pool surfaces. This displacement is intended to cause the dust to settle at a lower elevation in the pool. The hoses are flexible, usually vinyl, and carry a plurality of wear-resistant rings, such as nylon rings, which are spaced axially along the hose to inhibit wear on the vinyl hose. Also, such conventional wear rings may be made with a stainless steel inner ring or an additional outer ring and are said to be useful in polishing the sides and bottom of the pool. While such systems have been found to perform their intended purposes satisfactorily, they do leave something to be desired. For example, the water pressure used to displace the "dust" is not sufficient to remove "scale" or chemical deposits which accumulate on the walls and floor. When the scale overlaps the "dust", the "dust" cannot be removed by the pool sweeper and remains in the pool as a stain. The pool floor and wall then must be scrubbed to remove the stain.
Another type pool cleaning system is an electric vacuum, such as the models by Aqua Products, Inc. The Aqua Products, Inc. device uses a self-contained filtration system mounted on an electrically driven carriage which transverses the floor and walls of a pool. Particular models include a plurality of polymer foam scrubbing brushes which are driven about a shaft concomitantly with the movement of a set of drive tracks which move the carriage. While this system provides automatic scrubbing of the walls and floor it will be appreciated that the device is from two to three times more expensive than the pool sweeper systems.